Non-volatile data storage devices, such as universal serial bus (USB) flash memory devices or removable storage cards, have allowed for increased portability of data and software applications. Flash memory devices can store a data value in a memory cell by injecting charge into a floating gate of a transistor, altering a threshold voltage of the transistor. A threshold voltage within a first voltage range may correspond to one data value while a threshold voltage within a second voltage range may correspond to another data value. Applying a sensing voltage to a control gate of the transistor enables detection of the threshold voltage and therefore the data value that is stored in the memory cell. For example, a sensing voltage that is higher than the threshold voltage of the transistor will enable a higher current through the transistor than a sensing voltage that is lower than the threshold voltage.
Such memory cells may be erased and re-programmed to store other data. Conventionally, erasing flash memory cells is time-consuming and can affect data write latency of a data storage device. In addition, erasing data in a flash memory may require erasing multiple memory pages that are within an erase block of the memory. Memory management or “housekeeping” operations associated with erasing a memory block, such as copying valid data from the erase block to another memory location prior to erasing the erase block, may also impact write latency at the data storage device.